It is common for operators of motor vehicles to store and transport various articles in the cargo areas thereof. The types of articles stored and transported in the cargo are of a particular vehicle vary greatly depending in large part on the size of the cargo area but include items as diverse as shrubs, flowers, potting soil, mulch, sod, lumber, hardware, other construction materials, containers filled with plants and other destructive liquids, furniture, tires, tire irons, car jacks, suitcases, bags, boxes, purses, pets, groceries, sporting goods and accessories therefor, etc. Common problems for associated with storing and transporting goods in a vehicular cargo area include damage to the vehicle, particularly the surfaces defining the cargo area and difficulties associated with contained articles within the cargo area.
Indeed, it is well known that manufacturers of vehicles often sell molded liners designed for use within the cargo areas of vehicles to address the foregoing problems. Existing cargo area liners are often very expensive and are not versatile in terms usage because they are rigidly constructed and can only be placed in specific cargo areas (often permanently) in specified ways in order to afford the cargo area protection.
An alternative to the use of manufactured cargo area liners comprises the use of tarps or blankets to protect cargo areas when storing and transporting objects that might damage thereto. Tarps and/or blankets are undesirable solutions to the problems encountered in storing and transporting goods because they tend: not to be made of materials that are easily cleaned after use, not to maintain a flat surface as objects move around upon them, and not to be of a desirable size for use within cargo areas.
The present invention addresses the problems encountered by individuals seeking to store and transport goods within the cargo areas of vehicles and overcomes the foregoing problems inherent in the use of the liners, tarps, and blankets for such proposes. The invention comprises a vehicle utility mat made of a unitary and substantially square section of woven thermoplastic polymer such as polypropylene that is further coated with a thermoplastic polymer such as polypropylene. Thermoplastic polymers are desirable for use as a vehicle utility mats because they are resistant to water, many chemical solvents, tearing, and have high melting points. Furthermore, mats constructed of thermoplastic polymers can be easily washed and air-dried. Additional coating with thermoplastic polymers causes the vehicle utility mat to be even more impervious to liquids.
The vehicle utility mat of this present invention is manufactured to fit most vehicle cargo areas, including both sports utility vehicle cargo areas and car trunks. The mat has a spillage retarding lip extending around its outer periphery created, in one embodiment, by folding the edge of the mat over itself and hemming it.
The vehicle utility mat of the present invention may also be constructed with hook-and-loop fasteners attached to the mat substantially perpendicular to one another at each of the mat's four corners. These fasteners may be secured one to another at each corner to form a partial enclosure resembling a tray that further retards spillage.
The hook-and-loop fasteners can also be used to secure the mat to the carpet typically found in the cargo areas and trunks of vehicles. To do so the mat is turned over so that the hook-and-loop fasteners face downwardly toward the carpet and secure the mat thereto. In this position the mat is secure and will not move about the cargo area or wrinkle when items are placed thereon.
Finally, vehicle utility mats of the present invention are collapsible so that they may be easily stored. The mats have a strap attached adjacent one corner that is used to wrap around and secure the mat once the mat is folded and rolled into a substantially cylindrical shape. The strap secures the mat through the use of hook-and-loop fasteners.